T-Mobile US

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

T-Mobile US, Inc.
T-Mobile logo2.svg
The Un-Carrier (slogan)
Type
Public
Traded as NASDAQ: TMUS
NASDAQ-100 Component
Industry Wireless telecommunications
Predecessor VoiceStream Wireless Inc.
T-Mobile USA Inc.
MetroPCS Communications Inc.
Founded 1994; 23 years ago (as VoiceStream Wireless PCS)
Founder John W. Stanton
Headquarters Bellevue, Washington, United States
Area served
United States
Puerto Rico
U.S. Virgin Islands
Key people
John Legere (President) and (CEO)
Timotheus Httges (Chairman)
Products Mobile telephony
Wireless broadband
Revenue Increase $37.2 billion (2016)
Operating income
Increase $3.8 billion (2016)
Net income
Increase $1.5 billion (2016)
Total assets Increase $65.9 billion (2016)
Total equity Increase $18.2 billion (2016)
Number of employees
50,000 (2016)[1]
Parent Deutsche Telekom AG. (66%) [2]
Divisions MetroPCS
Website www.t-mobile.com
Footnotes / references
[3][4]
T-Mobile US is a United States based wireless network operator to which the German
telecommunications company Deutsche Telekom (DT) is its majority shareholder. Its
headquarters are located in Bellevue, Washington, in the Seattle metropolitan area.
T-Mobile is the third largest wireless carrier in the United States with 70.7
million customers as of Q3 2017.[5]
T-Mobile US provides wireless voice and data services in the United States, Puerto
Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands under the T-Mobile and MetroPCS brands (which it
acquired in a reverse takeover in 2013, resulting in the company going public on
the NASDAQ stock exchange), and also serves as the host network for many mobile
virtual network operators. The company has annual revenues of $37 billion.[1] Its
network reaches 98 percent of Americans.[6][7][non-primary source needed] In 2015,
Consumer Reports named T-Mobile the number one American wireless carrier.[8] In
2017, T-Mobile was ranked #1 in Customer Service Satisfaction by Nielsen.[9]
Contents [hide]
1 History
1.1 VoiceStream Wireless
1.2 Omnipoint and Aerial acquisitions
1.3 Deutsche Telekom acquires VoiceStream and Powertel
1.4 SunCom acquisition
1.5 Attempted acquisition by AT&T
1.6 Merger with MetroPCS Communications
1.7 The "Un-carrier", additional wireless spectrum acquisition
1.8 Attempted mergers with Sprint
2 Wireless networks
2.1 Cellular network
2.1.1 Packet-switched data upgrade
2.1.2 3G upgrade / discontinuation
2.1.3 HSPA/HSPA+ upgrade
2.1.4 4G LTE upgrade
2.2 Roaming
2.3 Radio frequency spectrum chart
2.4 T-Mobile HotSpots
2.4.1 Wi-Fi network (public)
2.4.2 Wi-Fi network (private)
3 Products and services
3.1 T-Mobile ONE
3.2 Simple Choice
3.3 Capping unlimited data users
3.4 InReach program
3.5 MetroPCS
3.6 GoSmart Mobile
3.7 Banking Cards
4 Customer service
4.1 Awards
4.2 Outages
4.2.1 Sidekick data outage
4.2.2 Network outage
5 Marketing
5.1 Un-carrier movement
6 Labor relations
6.1 Formation of TU
6.2 2009 coordinated organizing effort
6.2.1 Political pressure
6.3 Reports
6.4 Workplace activities
7 Information Security
8 Privacy and surveillance
8.1 Data retention policies
9 See also
10 References
11 External links
History[edit]
T-Mobile US traces its roots to the 1994 establishment of VoiceStream Wireless PCS
as a subsidiary of Western Wireless Corporation. Spun off from parent Western
Wireless on May 3, 1999, VoiceStream Wireless was purchased by Deutsche Telekom AG
in 2001 for $35 billion and renamed T-Mobile USA, Inc. in July, 2002. In 2013, T-
Mobile and MetroPCS finalized a merger of the two companies. The two companies
began trading as T-Mobile US.[10][11][12][13]
VoiceStream Wireless[edit]
VoiceStream Wireless PCS was established in 1994 as a subsidiary of Western
Wireless Corporation to provide digital wireless personal communications services
(PCS) in 19 FCC-defined metropolitan service areas in several western and
southwestern states.[14] VoiceStream Wireless' digital, urban service areas
complemented the analog, rural service areas marketed by Western Wireless under the
Cellular One brand.[15]
Western Wireless spun off its VoiceStream Wireless division into a new company
called VoiceStream Wireless Corporation in May 1999.[16]
Omnipoint and Aerial acquisitions[edit]
In 2000, VoiceStream Wireless acquired two regional GSM carriers. Omnipoint
Corporation, a regional network operator in the Northeastern U.S., was acquired on
February 25, 2000. Aerial Communications Inc.; a regional network operator in the
Columbus, Houston, Kansas City, Minneapolis-St. Paul, Pittsburgh and Tampa-St.
Petersburg-Orlando markets; was acquired on May 4, 2000.[17] The combined company
retired the Omnipoint and Aerial brands and completed integrating the three
companies by converting to a single customer billing platform, implementing
standard business practices and launching the VoiceStream brand and "GET MORE"
marketing strategy in all markets.[18]
Deutsche Telekom acquires VoiceStream and Powertel[edit]

Transitional logo used by VoiceStream prior to the 2001 re-branding to T-Mobile.

On June 1, 2001, Deutsche Telekom (DT) completed the acquisition of VoiceStream
Wireless Inc. for $35 billion and Southern U.S. regional GSM network operator
Powertel, Inc. for $24 billion. By the end of 2001, VoiceStream Wireless had 19,000
employees serving 7 million subscribers.
On September 2, 2001, VoiceStream Wireless Inc. took the name, T-Mobile USA, Inc.
and began rolling out the T-Mobile brand, starting with locations in California and
Nevada.[19] T-Mobile USA, Inc. was an operating entity of T-Mobile International
AG,[4] before becoming a direct subsidiary of Deutsche Telekom AG.[20]
SunCom acquisition[edit]
On September 17, 2007, the company announced the acquisition of SunCom Wireless
Holdings, Inc. for $2.4 billion; the acquisition closed on February 22, 2008. By
September 8, 2008, SunCom's operations were integrated with those of the company.
The acquisition added SunCom's 1.1 million customers to the company's customer base
and expanded the company's network coverage to include southern Virginia, North
Carolina, South Carolina, eastern Tennessee, northeastern Georgia, Puerto Rico and
the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Attempted acquisition by AT&T[edit]
Main article: Attempted purchase of T-Mobile USA by AT&T
On March 20, 2011, DT accepted a $39 billion stock and cash purchase offer from
AT&T for the company. The acquisition was subject to regulatory approvals, a
reverse breakup fee in certain circumstances, and customary regulatory and closing
conditions.[11][21][22][23]
If the merger had been completed, AT&T Mobility would have had a customer base of
approximately 130 million users, making it the largest wireless carrier in the U.S.
[11]
On August 31, 2011, the United States Department of Justice sued to block AT&T's
merger with T-Mobile on the grounds that it would "substantially lessen
competition" in the wireless market.[24] Further reports indicated that the FCC
would likely oppose the merger.[25]
On December 19, 2011, in the face of this heavy resistance from the U.S.
government, AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson announced that the company had officially
withdrawn its $39 billion bid.[26] In an official statement, Stephenson addressed
the continuing spectrum shortage (due to a significant increase in wireless
demand), hinting that the company will continue to seek other options to solve the
shortage in the short term.[27]
Merger with MetroPCS Communications[edit]
On October 3, 2012, MetroPCS Communications reached an agreement to merge with T-
Mobile USA. MetroPCS shareholders would hold a 26% stake in the merged company,
which retained the T-Mobile brand. While the merged company was still the fourth
largest carrier in the United States (at the time), the acquisition gave T-Mobile
access to more spectrum and financial resources to maintain competitiveness and
expand its LTE network.[28] The merger between T-Mobile USA Inc. and MetroPCS was
officially approved by MetroPCS shareholders on April 24, 2013. The deal was
structured as a reverse takeover; the combined company went public on the New York
Stock Exchange as TMUS and became known as T-Mobile US, Inc., on May 1, 2013.[29]
The merger agreement gave Deutsche Telekom the option to sell its 72% stake in the
merged company, valued at around $14.2 billion, to a third party before the end of
the 18-month lock-up period.[30]
The "Un-carrier", additional wireless spectrum acquisition[edit]
In March 2013, T-Mobile introduced a major overhaul of its plan structure, marketed
by branding themselves as being "the Un-carrier". Among the changes, a new
contract-free pricing structure with simpler plans were introduced, in which a
phone's cost is paid over a two-year financing plan.[31] The "Un-carrier" strategy
has since been expanded to encompass other value-added services, such as a plan
add-on allowing phone trade-ins for early upgrades twice per year,[32] carrying
over unused data allotments for up to a year,[33] and zero-rating of selected music
and video services (the latter locked to "DVD quality") over the mobile network,
[34][35] These moves came as part of an effort under new CEO John Legere to help
revitalize the business as it improves its network quality.[31]
On June 28, 2013, T-Mobile agreed to buy wireless spectrum for the Mississippi
Valley region from competitor U.S. Cellular for around $308 million, allowing the
company to expand its 4G network across a further 29 markets.[36]
On January 6, 2014, T-Mobile signed agreements with Verizon Wireless to purchase
some 700 MHz A-Block spectrum licenses for $2.365 billion. Further, a transfer of
some AWS and PCS spectrum licenses with a value of $950 million has been agreed
upon by T-Mobile and Verizon. The acquisition reportedly gave T-Mobile additional
coverage for approximately 158 million people in 9 of the top 10 and 21 of the top
30 U.S. markets.[37]
Attempted mergers with Sprint[edit]
In December 2013, multiple reports indicated that Sprint Corporation and its parent
company Softbank were working towards a deal to acquire a majority stake in T-
Mobile for at least US$20 billion. The proposed merger, which would result in the
country's major national carriers being controlled by only three companies, would
further bolster T-Mobile's position in the overall market.[38][39][40] Members of
the government were skeptical that such an acquisition would be approved by
regulators, citing antitrust concerns and an explicit goal by FCC chairman Tom
Wheeler to maintain four national carriers in the United States.[41][42] On April
30, 2014, Bloomberg reported that Sprint was in talks with its lenders to ensure
that the company would be financially prepared for the bid, now valued at $24
billion and planned for "summer 2014". It was also reported that due to his success
within the company, current T-Mobile CEO John Legere was the top contender to be
named CEO of a merged Sprint/T-Mobile, and that Sprint had insisted on a low
termination fee to prevent regulators from being given an incentive to block the
deal, as had occurred with AT&T's failed attempt to purchase T-Mobile.[43]
On August 1, 2014, Xavier Niel's Iliad SA publicly announced a US$16 billion all-
cash counter-bid to acquire a 56% stake in T-Mobile US, which would be funded using
equity and debt. Iliad is the parent company of French carrier Free Mobile, which
hadsimilarly to T-Mobile, performed disruptive business moves to undercut its
competitors, triggering a "price war" among them upon its launch in 2012. Credit
Suisse analysts felt that the bid would not be "attractive" to the company's
current shareholders due to its lower value in comparison to Sprint's bid, but
could "put pressure on Sprint to move sooner rather [than] later."[44][45]
On August 4, 2014, Bloomberg reported that Sprint had abandoned its bid to acquire
T-Mobile, considering the unlikelihood that such a deal would be approved by the
U.S. government and its regulators.[46]
On February 17, 2017, it was reported by Reuters that Softbank was considering
selling its majority stake in Sprint to Deutsche Telekom (an effective reversal of
the original deal), citing struggling growth in the U.S. market, and a higher
likelihood that the deal would be approved by the Trump administration.[47]
However, after months of speculation and rumors about a potential deal being
reached, both T-Mobile and Sprint announced on November 4, 2017 that while they
have had discussions about a merger, they have both decided to end talks about any
mergers with each other due to not being able to agree on the terms of the combined
deal,[48] due to Softbank's board of directors reported vote on October 27 where
they decided not to give up control of Sprint.[49]
Wireless networks[edit]
The company owns licenses to operate a cellular communications network in the 1900
MHz (PCS) and 1700 MHz (AWS) bands with coverage in many parts of the continental
U.S., Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, as well as licenses
in the 700 MHz band (block A mostly) available in certain parts of the country. In
2017 T-Mobile also acquired a nationwide 600 MHz license. It expects to deploy this
spectrum over the next few years as it is vacated by television stations across the
country in stages. With respect to technology, depending on the location, in the
1900 MHz band it deploys GSM, UMTS/HSPA+, and/or LTE (Band 2); in the 1700 MHz band
it deploys UMTS/HSPA+ and/or LTE (B4 and B66); and LTE-only in the 700 MHz (B12)
and 600 MHz (B71) bands. Its LTE network also supports VoLTE. It provides coverage
in areas where it does not own radio frequency spectrum licenses via roaming
agreements with other operators of compatible networks.
Cellular network[edit]
The company's predecessor, VoiceStream Wireless, began building a regional, 2G,
1900 MHz GSM, circuit switched, digital cellular network in 1994 and first offered
service in 1996 in Honolulu and Salt Lake City. From that starting point, the
network has expanded in size through acquisitions of other cellular-network
operators and additional spectrum purchases. The network has also expanded in
capabilities through the introduction of new technologies. VoiceStream upgraded the
1900 MHz network to include packet switching via General Packet Radio Service
(GPRS), then increased packet switched data transmission speeds via Enhanced Data
Rates for GSM Evolution. In 2006, the company spent $4.2 billion to purchase 120 D,
E or F block 1700 MHz AWS licenses[50] and began rolling out 3G UMTS services in
those frequency bands. The company upgraded network equipment and back-haul
capabilities to enable HSPA (High Speed Packet Access), and later HSPA+ and LTE
services.

T-Mobile US headquarters in Bellevue, WA

Packet-switched data upgrade[edit]
Packet-switched data service first became available to users in the form of General
Packet Radio Service (GPRS). Packet-switched data speeds increased when Enhanced
Data Rates for GSM Evolution (EDGE) was incorporated into the network. EDGE
coverage was available within at least forty percent of the GSM footprint.[51]
Both voice capacity and packet-switched data speeds improved when 3G Universal
Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) equipment was installed in the network. On
January 5, 2010, the company announced that it had upgraded its entire 3G network
to HSPA 7.2 Mbit/s, an improvement from its previous peak of 3.6 Mbit/s. It also
said that it planned to be the first U.S. carrier to deploy HSPA+ across its
network by mid-2010. The company had finished HSPA+ trials in Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania, and had begun deploying HSPA+ across its network.
3G upgrade / discontinuation[edit]
In September 2006, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) auctioned licenses
in the first Advanced Wireless Services band. This band was an area of wireless
spectrum, half in the 1700 MHz (1.7 GHz) and half in the 2100 MHz (2.1 GHz)
frequencies, that was already in use by government services. The spectrum was
planned to become available after the government users migrated to different
frequencies.
The auction made numerous licenses available in overlapping market-areas, economic-
areas, and regional levels. Each license was individually bid upon, and T-Mobile
USA was the winner in 120 license auctions, at an aggregate price of $4.18 billion.
As part of its winnings, T-Mobile USA gained nationwide coverage of 1.7 GHz and 2.1
GHz, with numerous areas being supplemented with additional licenses. Examples
include New York City, Chicago, and Boston where T-Mobile USA acquired one-third
(33 percent) of the available spectrum, or San Francisco, Houston, and Miami where
they acquired 45 percent of the available spectrum.[52]
October 6, 2006, two weeks after confirming its winning bids, the company announced
its intentions to create a UMTS third-generation, or 3G, cellular network with the
spectrum it had won. It said it would utilize and build on the experience of T-
Mobile International's European subsidiaries, which already implemented 3G
networks. At the time of initial roll-out, the company intended to offer 7.2 Mbit/s
service, making the company's 3G network the fastest in the U.S. The upgrade was
forecast to cost $2.6 billion, in addition to the $4.12 billion spent to acquire
the spectrum licenses.[53]
In the same announcement, the company indicated it had already begun to deploy
about half of the upgraded equipment, beginning in major markets such as New York
City. With the equipment in place, it would be able to activate its network as soon
as the government agencies vacated the spectrum. The company had hoped to have its
network activated by mid-2007, but as of September 2007, the government users had
not vacated the AWS band.[53]
The company began selling its first 3G-capable phone, the Nokia 6263, in November
2007 and announced in February 2008 that its 3G network would finally be activated
"within the next few months".[54][55] and released in the New York City market on
May 1, 2008.[56]
By 2009, the company had launched its 3G network in more than 200 markets, covering
some 208 million points of presence (POPS).[57] Throughout 2015, T-Mobile began
refarming UMTS/HSPA services from the original AWS band to their PCS band to expand
bandwidth available for LTE. This rendered a select number of T-Mobile 3G devices
inoperable on the 3G network.[58]
HSPA/HSPA+ upgrade[edit]
On June 28, 2010, the company announced that it would begin to upgrade its network
from HSPA+ 21 to HSPA+ 42 beginning sometime in 2011.[59] T-Mobile marketed HSPA+
services as 4G.[60]
4G LTE upgrade[edit]
On February 23, 2012, during the Q4 Earnings Call, T-Mobile laid out the future of
their 4G upgrade path. They would roll out the LTE network on the AWS spectrum, and
transition their HSPA+ network to the PCS band. To achieve compatibility with other
networks and phones in the USA, T-Mobile began this transition in March 2013, and
the rollout of LTE is currently underway as T-Mobile expands to more markets.[61]
Due to the failed acquisition of T-Mobile USA by AT&T, T-Mobile USA received
additional UMTS frequency band IV (AWS) spectrum. On March 26, 2013, T-Mobile began
rolling out LTE in 7 markets: Baltimore, San Jose, Washington, D.C., Phoenix, Las
Vegas, Kansas City, and Houston.[62]
On August 21, 2012, the FCC approved a deal between T-Mobile and Verizon in which
T-Mobile gained additional AWS spectrum licenses in 125 Cellular Market Areas.[63]
On February 25, 2014, T-Mobile announced in their Q4 2013 earnings call that their
4G LTE network covered 209 million people in 273 metro areas. They also planned to
start rolling out their 700 MHz A-Block spectrum by the end of 2014, which by the
end of the roll out would cover 158 million people. This spectrum led to improved
LTE coverage overall in these areas, particularly indoors.[64]
On March 13, 2014, T-Mobile announced a new plan to upgrade its entire 2G/EDGE
network to 4G LTE. They expected 50% to be done by the end of 2014, and it to be
"substantially complete" by the middle of 2015.[65]
On December 16, 2014, T-Mobile announced during CEO John Legere's Un-carrier 8.0
interview that their 4G LTE network covered 260 million people and their 700 MHz
Band 12 LTE had been rolled out in Cleveland, Colorado Springs, Minneapolis, and
Washington, D.C. They expected to cover 280 million with LTE by mid-2015 and 300
million by the end of 2015. They also stated that they covered 121 metro areas with
their Wideband LTE.[66]
On October 27, 2015, T-Mobile announced in its Q3 2015 earnings call that they
covered over 300 million people with LTE, reaching their 2015 end of year goal
months ahead of schedule. They had 245 markets with Wideband (at least 15+15 MHz)
LTE. They also had 204 markets with Extended Range 700 MHz Band 12 LTE covering
around 175 million people. Their coverage map revealed that they now had new native
LTE coverage in Montana, the Dakotas, Eastern West Virginia, and Northern Michigan.
[67]
On May 25, 2016 T-Mobile announced that it will be purchasing the 700Mhz A-block
license (LTE band 12) for the Chicago metro area. When this transaction closes,
together with several other pending 700Mhz license acquisitions, T-Mobile expects
to possess 700Mhz licenses covering a total of 272 million people, or 84% of the US
population including 10 of the top 10 largest US metro areas. T-Mobile refers to
its 700Mhz low-band network as 'Extended-range LTE' and claims it penetrates
buildings and reaches out farther than its PCS and AWS only network.[68] In
September 2016, T-Mobile launched 4x4 MIMO and 3 channel carrier aggregation
allowing theoretical speeds of 400 Mbit/s, and also announced that the company's
LTE network reaches over 312 million potential subscribers.[69]
Roaming[edit]
T-Mobile has roaming arrangements with a number of national and regional mobile
network operators, including AT&T Mobility.
As of 2008, prepaid customers have almost all of the postpaid domestic roaming
privileges and restricted international roaming to Canada and Mexico.[70]
On June 29, 2010, the company launched voice service in the Gulf of Mexico on GSM
via roaming agreement through Broadpoint. T-Mobile USA was scheduled to launch data
service in Fall 2010.[71]
In 2009, T-Mobile USA began removing AT&T Mobility roaming coverage in many
locations across the country, and updated its on-line coverage maps[72][73] to
reflect the smaller coverage area. AT&T Mobility roaming remains available in
select locations, primarily on smaller carriers that were acquired by AT&T Mobility
after long-term roaming contracts were in place between T-Mobile and the smaller
carriers, including Centennial Wireless and Edge Wireless.
On October 9, 2013, T-Mobile announced Simple Global, a service included with
eligible Simple Choice plans. This service allows one to roam in over 100 countries
with unlimited text and speed-limited data, and make calls at $0.20/minute. High-
speed data passes will be available for purchase.[74] On March 7, 2014, T-Mobile
announced this number will be increasing to 122 countries.[75] If one is connected
to WiFi in one of these countries, and their phone supports WiFi calling, all calls
and texts to and from the USA are free, and work the same as if they were on the
cellular network.[76]
On July 15, 2015, T-Mobile launched Mobile Without Borders, a service included with
all new T-Mobile plans and available as an add-on to grandfathered or promotional
plans for $10. This service allows the user to use their normal voice, text
message, and data allotments while roaming in Mexico and Canada. Most T-Mobile
services are available while roaming, with the notable exception of using the data
in one's Data Stash.
In August 2015, T-Mobile joined the Competitive Carriers Association's Data
Services Hub, enabling the company to expand roaming partnerships with over a dozen
rural and regional carriers. Smaller carriers will now be able to access T-Mobile's
LTE network for roaming and T-Mobile will be able to expand roaming partnerships
and extend its footprint with members whose network technologies had previously
been incompatible.[77]
On October 2017, T-Mobile announced that starting November 12, 2017, LTE-speeds
will be limited at 5 GB (with speeds going at speeds at 128 KB/s or 256 KB/s on
some plans) while using data roaming in Canada in Mexico, although data remains
unlimited. However, calling and texting still remain free from roaming charges.[78]
Radio frequency spectrum chart[edit]
Further information: UMTS frequency bands and LTE frequency bands
The following chart describes radio frequency spectrum bands accessible by the
company's customers.
Frequency Band Band number Radio Interface Generation Status Notes
1900 MHz PCS 2 GSM/GPRS/EDGE 2G In Service Currently retaining 2G
service for M2M customers and international roaming.
UMTS/HSPA+ 3G[79][80][81][82] Reducing Service Used for 3G service in most
markets as AWS spectrum is refarmed for LTE. 3G PCS service may operate alongside
AWS 3G in some urban markets. 3G PCS service is being refarmed in some areas for
additional LTE capacity.[83]
LTE 4G In Service/ Building out PCS LTE is typically deployed in rural
areas to reuse GSM antennas. PCS LTE is also being rolled out in urban areas to
increase LTE capacity. It is also the main LTE band in some markets where AWS is
not available.[84][85][86]
1700/2100 MHz AWS 4 UMTS/HSPA+ 3G[79][80][81][82] Reducing Service T-
Mobile has been moving 3G service from AWS to its PCS spectrum. This will free up
more capacity for LTE. However, in some markets there still will be 3G service
provided, and in other markets there will be no 3G service, as it will be solely
provided on PCS spectrum.[58]
LTE 4G In Service Refarmed from 3G. Main LTE band in most markets.
66 In Service/
Building out[87]
Extended AWS block for additional capacity in some areas.[88]
700 MHz Lower SMH A/B/C 12 In Service/ Building out T-Mobile refers to band
12 LTE as 'Extended-range LTE' as it has better signal propagation characteristics
than its PCS and AWS-based frequencies. Initial rollout began in December 2014. As
of November 2017, the company owns 700 MHz licenses covering about 85% of the US
population.
600 MHz US DD 71 In Service/Building out[89] Spectrum purchased in early
2017, network launched in August 2017. Licenses cover 100% of the United States.
[89][90]
T-Mobile HotSpots[edit]
T-Mobile has used the term "Hotspot" to represent various products and
technologies.
Wi-Fi network (public)[edit]
The company operates a nationwide Wi-Fi Internet access network under the T-Mobile
HotSpots brand. The T-Mobile HotSpots network consists of thousands of Wi-Fi access
points installed in businesses, hotels and airports throughout the U.S.
The T-Mobile HotSpot service offers access to a nationwide network of approximately
8,350 access points, installed in venues such as Starbucks coffeehouses, FedEx
Office Office and Print Centers, Hyatt hotels and resorts, Red Roof Inns, Sofitel
hotels, Novotel hotels, the airline clubs of American Airlines, Delta Air Lines,
United Airlines and US Airways, and airports.[91]
The T-Mobile HotSpots network can be traced to the company's 2002 purchase of
bankrupt wireless ISP MobileStar, which began building its network in 1998. After
completing the purchase, the company expanded the network into 400 Borders
bookstores, as well as 100 of the most-frequented airport clubs and lounges
operated by American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, and United Airlines.[92][93]
On September 14, 2014, T-Mobile partnered up with GoGo to provide free texting on
airplanes for its customers. GoGo services are provided on Delta Airlines, American
Airlines, United Airlines, US Airways, Virgin America and Alaska Airlines.[94]
On June 6, 2016, T-Mobile expanded its partnership with GoGo to offer T-Mobile
users one hour of free WiFi on customers phones while T-Mobile One Plus and One
Plus International users also get free WiFi throughout the entire flight. T-Mobile
also included other messaging apps (iMessage, Google Hangouts, WhatsApp and Viber)
in addition to SMS texting being provided since September 2014.[95]
Wi-Fi network (private)[edit]
T-Mobile has also used the term to describe Wi-Fi Access Points that it sold to end
users to expand their cell phone network to phones equipped to also receive Wi-Fi
using a VOIP-like technology. (The models included at least two by Linksys: the
WRTU54G-TM and the WRT54G-TM and one by D-Link: the TM-G5240.)
Products and services[edit]
T-Mobile ONE[edit]
In August 2016, T-Mobile introduced T-Mobile ONE. It will be the only rate plan
offered in the future, with plans to gradually phase out Simple Choice.[96] It
combines unlimited voice minutes, text messaging, and high-speed data (the top 1%
of userscurrently 50 GB/monthmay be deprioritized under congested conditions),
replacing Binge On, Music Freedom, and Data Stash. Video streaming is limited to
1.5 Mbps, allowing 480p resolution in most cases, and mobile hotspot (tethering) is
limited to 3G speeds. The $10/line/month ONE Plus add-on allows HD streaming and
adds 10 GB of mobile hotspot at 4G LTE speeds; the $25/line/month ONE Plus
International additionally provides international calling and texting and unlimited
mobile hotspot at 4G LTE speeds. Subscribers who do not enable auto-pay are charged
a $5/line/month fee; otherwise, as of January 22, 2017, all taxes and regulatory
fees are included in the plan cost.[97][98] The plan has been criticized by the
Electronic Frontier Foundation and others for potentially violating net neutrality
rules and making previously-included features paid extras.[99][100][101]
Subscribers on Simple Choice can keep their current plans.[96]
In response to Verizon launching their new Verizon Unlimited Plan, T-Mobile revised
their T-Mobile ONE plan to include High Definition (1080p) video streaming and 10
GB of High Speed Mobile Hot Spot data (to be slowed to 3G speeds after using the
allowance) at an extra rate of $9.99/month per line. Also, their prioritization
threshold was raised to 50 GB on all T-Mobile ONE plans.
Simple Choice[edit]
In March 2013, T-Mobile introduced a new streamlined plan structure known as Simple
Choice for new customers. This is part of an initiative called Un-carrier which
drops contracts, subsidized phones, overage fees for data, and early termination
fees.[31]
Capping unlimited data users[edit]
On August 31, 2015, T-Mobile announced it will ask users who abuse its unlimited
on-smartphone data plan by violating T-Mobile's Terms & Conditions regarding
tethering (which like unlimited on-smartphone data, remains unlimited, however,
offers a 14 GB high speed allotment before deprioritizing takes effect), by
permanently removing user access to unlimited plans and migrating users to a tiered
data plan. By doing so, all plans after a select amount of inclusive high-speed
data, result in automatic throttled speeds, preventing unlimited high-speed
tethering use and abuse of the network. T-Mobile stated that there are a small
handful of users who abuse the tethering plan by altering device software and/or
the use of an Android app that masks T-Mobile's ability monitoring whether data is
on-smartphone, or through smartphone mobile hotspot (tethering) by mimicking all
data as on-smartphone use, with some customers abusing the service by using as much
as 2 TB per month, causing speed issues for all other customers.[102]
InReach program[edit]
The InReach program[103] provides a free cell phone and a limited number of voice
minutes each month for low-income-eligible families (one per family) who do not use
Lifeline services offered by any other phone or wireless company. It is funded
through the Universal Service Fund,[104] but is only operational in a limited
number of states and Puerto Rico.[105]
MetroPCS[edit]
Main article: MetroPCS
MetroPCS was taken over by T-Mobile in 2013, the new company formed T-Mobile US and
currently continues to offer prepaid wireless services under the MetroPCS brand.
GoSmart Mobile[edit]
GoSmart Mobile was a T-Mobile branded service that launched in beta on December 7,
2012, and became officially available nationwide on February 19, 2013.[106] GoSmart
offered no-contract SIM wireless services. GoSmart Mobile was sold to consumers
through dealers who worked as independent contractors under their own company name.
Such sellers are known as "Authorized Dealers" with either physical or online
stores. In September 2016, T-Mobile sold the brand and 326,000 GoSmart Mobile
customers to TracFone Wireless.[107] The customers were reclassified as wholesale
subscribers.[108]
Banking Cards[edit]
On January 22, 2014, T-Mobile announced that it would expand its products into
banking. T-Mobile would provide Visa card with banking features and a smartphone
money management application with reduced-fee or zero-cost services for T-Mobile
wireless customers. In addition, customers would have access to over 42,000 ATMs
with no fees.[109]
In early 2016 T-mobile decided to discontinue the banking cards. They can no longer
be purchased at T-Mobile.
Customer service[edit]
[icon]
This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (January 2014)
T-Mobile Store in Hartford, CT
Awards[edit]
From as early as 2004, the company has captured multiple J. D. Power annual awards
in the areas of retail sales satisfaction, wireless customer care, and overall
customer satisfaction.[4] In 2011, J. D. Power and Associates stated that T-Mobile
retail stores achieved the highest ratings among major wireless carriers for
customer satisfaction for the fourth consecutive year, performing particularly well
in price and promotions.[110] Also in 2011, J. D. Power and Associates ranked T-
Mobile USA highest among major providers in wireless customer care for the second
consecutive year.[111]
On December 3, 2015, Consumer Reports named T-Mobile the number one American
wireless service provider. The results combine data from customer service, voice
quality, text messaging services, and data speeds.[8]
On February 6, 2016, T-Mobile was awarded the JD Power Award for customer
satisfaction in the full service wireless category for the second year in a row. T-
Mobile received the highest score ever in the wireless industry.[112]
Outages[edit]
Sidekick data outage[edit]
Main article: Microsoft data loss 2009
On October 1, 2009, some users of Microsoft's Sidekick handset temporarily lost
personal data, including contacts, notes, and calendars. On October 8, most data
services were restored to users. The company and Microsoft announced on October 10
that Sidekick device data "almost certainly has been lost as a result of a server
failure at Microsoft/Danger."[113] On October 15, Microsoft said it had been able
to recover most or all data and would begin to restore it.[114][115] A few weeks
later, all Sidekick customers were able to recover their data via Danger's sync
website using a restore file, or had the option to wait until data was restored to
the device itself.
Network outage[edit]
On November 9, 2009, some of the company's subscribers temporarily lost the ability
to send and receive calls and text messages for several hours.[116] The company
confirmed the outage via Twitter. The company stated that approximately five
percent of its subscribers had been affected. It claimed that the problem was
caused by a system software error.[117]
On February 13 and March 25, 2015, T-Mobile suffered LTE outages along the east
coast causing users to lose data connections.[citation needed]
Marketing[edit]
Jamie Lee Curtis was the spokesperson for T-Mobile USA's predecessor, VoiceStream
Wireless, since 1998. VoiceStream's advertising slogan was: "Get more from life".
During the transition to the T-Mobile brand, Jamie Lee Curtis continued as
spokesperson for a short time and the slogan was changed to "T-Mobile. Get More."
Starting in 2002, the company's spokesperson was Catherine Zeta-Jones who was the
main figure in its branding strategy. As of September 2006, Zeta-Jones had
officially been dropped as the "face" of the company for its advertising campaigns
due to a corporate rebranding strategy.[118] The company also relied on rapper
Snoop Dogg as the spokesperson for its T-Mobile Sidekick in a series of commercials
late in 2004, the company also released a series of Sidekick phones known as the D-
Wade Edition for basketball player Dwyane Wade.
The company is also an official sponsor of the Major League Baseball, National
Basketball Association, the NBA Rookie Challenge and the Women's National
Basketball Association.
In 2009, it changed its approach to advertising, and moved from the "Get More"
slogan to a "Stick Together" slogan to focus more on the personal aspect of staying
together with those who matter the most to its customers.[citation needed] The
slogan was also meant to promote its MyFaves calling-circle plan. With this the
company also ended its relationship with Zeta-Jones, and now use mainly non-
celebrity spokespeople (though Dwyane Wade, Charles Barkley, and Dwight Howard are
featured in some commercials, in association with the company's sponsorship of the
NBA as official wireless provider).
In late May 2009, Zeta-Jones was brought back as a company spokesperson to show
customers how to pay less for their wireless plan in a new "Mobile Makeovers"
advertising campaign that refers customer to third-party comparison site
BillShrink.com.[119][120]
In late 2009, commercials for the T-Mobile MyTouch 3G featured the song "If You
Want to Sing Out, Sing Out" by Cat Stevens[121] and celebrities such as Chevy
Chase, Molly Shannon, Dana Carvey and Darrell Hammond.[122] Another commercial with
the same song performed by a different artist showed Wyclef Jean, Avril Lavigne and
Brad Paisley.[123]
Carly Foulkes is the spokeswoman for the myTouch 4G in commercials that parody the
Get a Mac campaign. The model is known for Rugby Ralph Lauren ads.[124][125][126]
Although Foulkes is often identified with the color pink, T-Mobile actually has a
color trademark for the color magenta,[127] and markets itself using its corporate
colors.[128][129] Virgin Mobile has, in turn, parodied the Carly Foulkes ads.[130]
In September 2010, the company launched "Kids are free till 2012" for family lines.
On December 1, 2011, a group of 100 Chicago-area women, along with Carly Foulkes,
were featured in a flash-mob style performance at Woodfield Mall in Schaumburg,
Illinois, where the group, dressed in magenta dresses, sang and danced through the
mall's atrium to their cover of (There's No Place Like) Home for the Holidays. The
performance was filmed and edited into a holiday commercial, which was a success.
Un-carrier movement[edit]
Starting in 2013, T-Mobile launched the Un-carrier marketing campaign. This
movement introduced a slew of new tactics to offer consumers cheaper rate plans,
cheaper global coverage, and several other benefits. T-Mobile CEO John Legere laid
out an 'Un-Carrier manifesto' highlighting the approach and goals he wanted the
company to pursue. One popular Un-carrier move features T-Mobile Tuesdays, where
customers are offered a variety of free products and also able to win prizes.[131]
[132] The most recent Un-carrier campaign is titled 'T-Mobile One'. This is a new
family plan offering, replacing all previous plans and is an all inclusive
unlimited plan, giving unlimited talk, text and data. The only caveat being video
streaming on any device is limited to 480p resolution.[133] CEO John Legere in an
interview said "The biggest pain point that a million customers told me about is
that they hate data buckets. And we had such success with Binge On that we wanted
to turn our company into somebody that's selling a monthly subscription to the
internet, all in, unlimited." [134] As of October 7, 2016, about a quarter of the
overall account numbers have moved over to T-Mobile One, and about three quarters
of new postpaid accounts are activating on T-Mobile One.
Labor relations[edit]
T-Mobile US employees and two labor unions have led multiple unionization attempts
beginning as early as 2001.
Formation of TU[edit]
Hundreds of T-Mobile employees, with the backing of the Communications Workers of
America (CWA) and the German union ver.di, have joined together as TU to gain
representation at T-Mobile.[135] In July, 2011, technicians in Connecticut, voted
for representation by the Communications Workers of America-TU.[136] On September
25, 2013, MetroPCS workers in Harlem, NY, voted for a union voice and
representation by CWA-TU.[137]
2009 coordinated organizing effort[edit]

CWA President Larry Cohen and a disguised, unidentified T-Mobile USA employee
pictured at a 2009 press conference announcing a coordinated unionizing effort.
In 2008, the CWA and ver.di launched a coordinated effort to unionize company
employees. A spokesman for the CWA called on the company to stop resisting
mobilization efforts and allow company employees to unionize as German employees of
T-Mobile USA's parent company, DT, have done. In response, the company released an
employee satisfaction study showing that more than seventy percent of the company's
40,000 workers were "very satisfied" with their jobs. Through a spokesman, the
company stated, "Despite the Communication Workers of America's periodic organizing
efforts for more than nine years, no group of T-Mobile employees has ever chosen to
be represented by a union. While our company is always striving to find ways to
improve, year after year, employees continue to view T-Mobile as a good place to
work where they have no need for, or interest in, a union."[136]
Political pressure[edit]
In 2009, a number of politicians, in one case acting after lobbying efforts by CWA
union activists, wrote letters to Ren Obermann, DT's chief executive officer, in
an effort to influence T-Mobile USA's labor practices in the U.S.[138]
In a March 13, 2009, letter, U.S. Senator John Kerry (D-MA) asked "why the
company's approach to labor rights are different in Germany than in the United
States". In an April 30, 2010, letter sent after lobbying by Communications Workers
of America activists, 26 Democratic members of Congress called on DT to protect and
respect workers' rights in the U.S.[138] A separate July 1, 2010, letter from seven
Republicans addressed the same issue.[139][140] On August 10, 2010, U.S. Senator
Bob Casey (D-PA) released a statement in support of the worker's efforts to
organize a union at the company.[141] In a letter, dated September 21, 2010,
fifteen Californian Members of Congress urged Obermann to take action and implement
fair and equitable labor relations.[citation needed]
In a November 5, 2009, letter, Thomas DiNapoli, New York State Comptroller and
Trustee of the New York State Common Retirement Fund, stated concerns about "the
potential impact on the value of T-Mobile that may result from a disenfranchised
workforce and the associated negative publicity that may impact T-Mobile's
profitability."[citation needed]
Reports[edit]

A Cover image of a report written by John Logan and published in 2009 by American
Rights at Work
On December 9, 2009, the non-profit organization American Rights at Work published
a report written by Prof. John Logan, Director of Labor Studies at San Francisco
State University, titled "Lowering the Bar or Setting the Standard? Deutsche
Telekom's U.S. Labor Practices". The report details behavior by the company that
the author perceives as anti-union including dissemination of anti-union materials,
intimidation and threats directed at pro-union workers, "captive audience meetings"
and the retention of anti-union specialists.[142] In the report, which is based on
documents from the National Labor Relations Board, internal company memos and
handbooks, and interviews with workers, Logan asserts that the company engaged in a
systematic campaign to prevent employees from forming a union and that DT was
guilty of operating by a double standard. He claims that Deutsche Telekom respects
workers' rights in Germany, where it cooperates closely with unions, but mistreats
workers in the United States and interferes with their right to organize.
[clarification needed][143]
On September 2, 2010, Human Rights Watch released a report written by Lance Compa
titled "A Strange Case: Violations of Workers' Freedom of Association in the United
States by European Multinational Corporations". The report concludes that "company
policy has translated into practices that leave the workforce fearful about even
seeking union representation."[144] DT proclaims its adherence to international
labor law and standards that are embodied in German domestic laws. But HRW found
that "T-Mobile USA's harsh opposition to workers' freedom of association in the
United States betrays Deutsche Telekom's purported commitment to social
responsibility, impedes constructive dialogue with employee representatives, and in
several cases, has violated ILO and OECD labor and human rights standards".[145]
Workplace activities[edit]
At the company's Allentown, Pennsylvania, call center, security guards were ordered
by company managers to write up incident reports whenever union supporters appeared
on nearby public grounds and to record the license plate numbers of employees who
stopped to take leaflets. In 2006, the National Labor Relations Board found that
these activities violated Section 8(a)(1) of the National Labor Relations Act.[146]
In 2008, company management in the Pacific Northwest and Southwest Retail Divisions
sent a memorandum to store managers instructing them to immediately report any
union activity to their supervisors.[147] Human Rights Watch states, "The NLRB has
long held that such activity interferes with, restrains, and coerces employees in
the exercise of Section 7 rights in violation of workers' right to freedom of
association."[148]
Information Security[edit]
Nicolas Jacobsen was charged with intruding into the company's internal network in
January 2005.[149] Reports indicated that for about a year Jacobsen had access to
customer passwords, e-mail, address books, Social Security numbers, birth dates,
and Sidekick photos. Affected customers included members of the United States
Secret Service. Secret Service informant identified Jacobsen as part of "Operation
Firewall" which provided evidence that Jacobsen had attempted to sell customer
information to others for identity theft. T-Mobile USA and the Secret Service did
not elaborate on the methods Jacobsen used to gain access but sources close to the
case indicated that Jacobsen exploited an unpatched flaw in the Oracle WebLogic
Server application software used by the company.[150] Additional SQL injection
vulnerabilities with the company's web site were reported by Jack Koziol of the
InfoSec Institute.[151]
T-Mobile offers access to voice mail without the input of a password by default.
Parties acting in bad faith may be able to access such voice mailboxes via Caller
ID spoofing. To avoid this possibility, T-Mobile recommends that all customers
password protect their mailboxes, but still offers the no password configuration by
default due to customer demand.[152]
On June 6, 2009, a message posted from an email account "pwnmobile_at_Safe-
mail.net" to the Full Disclosure mailing list claimed that the company's network
had been breached and showed sample data. The sender offered "databases,
confidential documents, scripts and programs from their servers, financial
documents up to 2009" to the highest bidder.[153][154] On June 9, the company
issued a statement confirming the breach but stating that customer data was safe.
It claimed to have identified the source document for the sample data and believe
it was not obtained by hacking.[155] A later statement claimed that there was not
any evidence of a breach.[156]
Privacy and surveillance[edit]
T-Mobile USA received a portion of the 1.3 million largely warrantless law
enforcement requests for subscriber information (including text messages and phone
location data) made in 2011, but refused to state how many requests it received.
[157] It did say that in the last decade, the number of requests have increased by
12 to 16 percent annually.[158]
Data retention policies[edit]
According to T-Mobile's privacy policy highlights, "Retention and Disposal",
information is retained for as long as there is business or tax need or as
applicable laws, regulations, or government orders require. T-Mobile notes that it
disposes of Personal Information, uses reasonable procedures designed to erase or
render it unreadable (for example, shredding documents and wiping electronic
media).[159]
In 2010, the Department of Justice (DOJ) released a document entitled, "Retention
Periods of Major Cellular Providers," to advise law enforcement agents seeking to
obtain cell phone records. This document was uncovered by the ACLU's coordinated
records request on cell phone location tracking by police. Notably, the document
showed that T-Mobile subscriber information was retained for 5 years and call
detail records were kept for 2 years (prepaid) and 5 years (postpaid).[160]
In 2013, Massachusetts Sen. Edward Markey revealed responses from the top four U.S.
wireless providers as well as U.S. Cellular, C Spire, and Cricket/Leap Wireless, to
his inquiry regarding user information disclosed to law enforcement officials. The
following was T-Mobile's response regarding data retention: T-Mobile US retains
customers' historic cell site information and cell tower dump information (180
days); call details records (710 years); text message content, data requests, and
geo-location data not stored; voicemail content (up to 21 days); subscriber
information (6 years after account is closed).[161]
Comparing the 2010 DOJ memo released by the ACLU and Massachusetts Senator Edward
Markey's 2013 wireless data retention disclosures, it should be noted that T-Mobile
increased the retention period for subscriber information from 5 years to 6 years.
T-Mobile also increased its call detail record retention from 2 years (prepaid) and
5 years (postpaid) to 710 years.